A Rose on Their Grave
by Shepard of the Lost
Summary: -DISCONTINUED- A prostitute for nearly his entire life, Naruto Uzumaki doesn't believe in love or that there is any true kindness in the world. That is, until he meets Sasuke Uchiha.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So there is a reason for me not updating my other fanfiction "What Happens in Suna…" I've simply lost interest. *GASP* yes, yes I know, shocking. But don't worry; I'll definitely finish it at some point… in the mean time, I'ma write me some sasunaru! :D This one isn't like my normal fics. I'm going to try and focus more on the sex scenes rather than any complicated conflict (the key word being **_**Try**_**). Because of this, I may accidentally leave out an important detail or two. So if you have any questions/suggestions, feel free to post those wonderful reviews that make me wanna update sooner and what not. Anyway, this is getting too wordy. Please, enjoy! (^.^) *huggles***

**~Yuki-chan**

Naruto Uzumaki was just about ready to call it a night. He had been working the streets all night and he still hadn't met his quota. The boss would have his head on a pike if he could ring in just one more costumer. But it was late and people were becoming scarcer. He had been hanging around a local twenty-four-hour bar in hopes someone would be drunk enough to pay for a couple of hours without him having to do any of the "work".

Naruto was a young, blonde, and beautiful male prostitute. Ever since he was young (much too young to be having sex) he had had no choice but to sell himself just to survive. His father had died when he was born and his dear mother did her very best to support herself and her little boy but when Naruto was only twelve years old, his mother became very sick. She couldn't work and was eventually fired from her job. They could barely afford to eat every night. The young blonde had to drop out of school to help take care of his mother. Things only got worse.

Just after his thirteenth birthday, Naruto discovered that they were about to lose the house. He didn't know what to do. No one would hire a thirteen year old boy… or would they? Naruto had spent quite a bit of time on the streets, begging for food (the less food he ate at home the more there would be for his mother to eat) and had seen people near alley ways and bars having a large amount money handed to them but he wasn't sure why. One allowed one of the women to see how it was done…

He learned prostitution through example and later discovered the vast amount of perverts there were in the world. Naruto's innocence was shattered at an early age and he never quite recovered from his first experience as a child prostitute. But that was a story for another day. He had just noticed a dark haired man stumble out of the bar.

Show time.

"Hey, sexy. You looking for a good time?" the blonde said as he intercepted the strange man.

"Get lost, hooker." That stung Naruto's pride a bit but more importantly the man wasn't as drunk as he thought. The man pushed Naruto of to the side but the blonde was persistent.

"Hey, come on, don't be that way. I could really use the money and I haven't met a man yet that doesn't want sex."

"You just did now get out of my way."

"Look, my pimp will kill me if I don't give him the money I owe so help a guy out, will ya? I'm not kidding about the kill part either. He's done it before and he's made it very clear he'll do the same to me if I don't make quota." Naruto's words were unflinching. His pimp, a man by the name of Orochimaru, was anything but reasonable. Before long, Naruto had a close friend, his only friend really, that would work shifts with him. He had been talking about getting out of the "business" and getting a real job, settling down, maybe even have a family one day. He started working longer and harder so he could make more money while still paying off Orochimaru. Unfortunately, the last night Naruto's friend had planned to work, the pimp found out and wasn't happy. The body was never found but Orochimaru took pictures of his handy work and showed it to each of his whores. He made it very clear; if you try to leave, you would die. Period.

The raven haired man sighed, "How much…"

"A hundred bucks an hour. Fifty for a blow job."

"That's ridicules."

"It's cheap considering how good I am." Naruto said proudly.

The man let out another sigh, "What's you name."

Naruto was surprised but hid it well, "Naruto. What's yours?"

"Sasuke. Where should we go?"

"We can do it right here if you want. It would be easier, I guess." The blonde said motioning toward the dark alley.

"Might as well." Sasuke said fallowing him into the narrow pass.

"So, I'm assuming you're doing this out of pity. You don't seem like the let's-just-have-random-sex type."

"What was your first clue, dumbass." Naruto resisted a rebuttal and only laughed lightly.

"If guys aren't your thing, you can just close your eyes and think of some girl you had a crush on in high school or something, kay? Let's get started." Naruto said when they reached the end of the alley. Sasuke nodded and went to undo his belt but Naruto beat him to it. In an instant, the blonde was on his knees and Sasuke was in shock. The way Naruto licked and nipped had Sasuke hard as a rock in a short amount of time. He had never been so quick before. The blonde wasn't joking when he said he was good.

Naruto bobbed his head and sucked in just the right way. It felt so good; Sasuke ran his fingers threw the soft blonde locks and let out a low moan as he tugged on the other's hair. Naruto smirked inwardly when he heard the noise of sheer pleasure escape the lips of someone so reluctant to try this. He licked at the tip of Sasuke's member, tasting the bitter-sweet cum weeping from the sensitive slit. He raked his teeth along a sensitive vein and with one final suck, heard Sasuke let a content groan as hot, sweet cum filled the blonde's mouth.

The raven felt Naruto swallow as he came, hard. He would have thought the blonde would choke a little or even spit it out but the feel of him swallowing his seed was so…intimate. He felt a small lose when Naruto pulled away but quickly recovered and redid his pants before pulling out his wallet. Sasuke was a wealthy man and always had a large amount of money with him and even with the drinks he bought, he still had more than enough to pay for the time they had spent together. He looked up at Naruto and saw him wipe his mouth before pulling out a packet of cigarettes (no doubt to help take care of his little "problem").

"Those things will kill you, you know." Sasuke said, handing the prostitute his money.

"Life will kill you." Naruto countered, lighting up the stick with one hand and taking the money with the other. He noticed the amount was more than that he had asked for and tried to tell the raven but he was already gone, "Huh, nice guy." was all Naruto could say to that. He made his way back to his shabby apartment a few blocks down.

"I'm home." He called out of habit. The room was empty except for an old mattress, a half-empty fridge, and a TV that only got two channels. There was only basic pluming and it worked when it felt like working. Half the time the toilet wouldn't even flush without a great amount of effort. At least the sink worked, usually. And the lights; what lights?

Naruto was hungry but too tired to cook so he stuffed the money under the mattress and flopped on the not-so-soft bed to go to sleep.

In a few moments, he was greeted with a dream from his past. This was a time before his mother had gotten sick and before he became a whore. He had just come home from school and his mother was waiting for him with a snack she had cooked herself.

These dreams were the ones Naruto hated the most; more than any nightmare he had ever had. They reminded him of the happiness he could never get back. And they were often followed by another memory that he would give anything to forget.

**. . . **

The next day Naruto was woken by a loud knocking at his door. He already knew who it was. With a grumble he grabbed the money he owed and got up to let Orochimaru's favorite hooker in, "I trust you know why I'm here, Naruto." Kabuto said, his English accent ringing clear. The blonde nodded and handed him the money. He quickly counted and smiled when he knew Naruto hadn't shorted him.

"Still Orochimaru's bottom bitch, I see." Naruto commented rudely.

"Jealous?" Kabuto said as he took his leave, "Have the same amount in another month." He said before Naruto slammed the door behind him. He crossed the room and grabbed the rest of the money. He counted three-hundred dollars left after paying Orochimaru. He was going to eat a real breakfast for the first time in over a year! The next time he saw that raven haired man, he was going to thank him properly. He waited until he was sure Kabuto had left. Keeping money from Orochimaru was just asking for a beating. He would have to be careful; going out of his district would be the safest way to do it but it wasn't like he had a car or anything. There was always the option of taking a cab but that would just be a waste of money. Especially sense he didn't really know any street names other than the ones he worked at night and he really wanted to avoid work today.

He decided he would simply get himself lost. He would walk until he didn't recognize anything anymore and then focus on finding a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Naruto was surprisingly excited. You would be to if all you had to eat for the past year was anything you could find even if it was something out of the trash.

The blonde tried the shower and luck was on his side. There was actually hot water this morning. He washed up and put on a pair of loose jeans and an orange t-shirt. He attempted to comb out his spiky yellow hair but gave up after about ten minutes of futile brushing. He shoved the money in his pocket, slipped a pair of worn sandals on, and walked out the door.

The cool fall air bit at his still damp skin as he walked briskly down the sidewalk. His stomach was already growling and it only made him quicken his pace. He was so distracted he didn't even notice the equally distracted pedestrian moving in the opposite direction.

Head-on collision.

"Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going you bastard!" Naruto shouted when he hit the ground. He didn't even bother looking to see who it was which turned out to be a very embarrassing mistake.

"Is that the thanks I get after tipping you so generously last night?" the blonde's face turned a brilliant red when he heard that same voice from the other night.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He had only been able to make out the hair color from his generous client last night. Now that the sun was out, he could see all of his features; dark eyes, even darker hair that stood up in the back, pale skin, and plump, full lips that just begged to be kissed. When Sasuke realized the blonde was staring at him a little too much he felt the need to break the silence.

"Where were you going in such a hurry? You weren't harassing some poor guy into letting you give him a blow job were you?" he joked half-heartedly.

"Ha ha, for your information I was going to get something to eat with your money! I can't spend it anywhere around here sense there's a chance one of the other prostitutes could snitch on me."

"What, you're not allowed to eat?"

"No, I'm not allowed to keep this much money. It's my bosses way of keepings us around. If he finds out I have all this money… well, let's just say the consequences are something I'd like to avoid."

Sasuke got a strange look in his eye and it made Naruto wonder what the raven could be thinking. He wasn't kept waiting for long, "Why don't I buy you something? That way, if any of your…uh…coworkers see you, they'll think I'm a customer or just a friend."

"You don't have to do that."

"It's fine. I don't have to be somewhere anytime soon so it's no trouble." The raven was uncharacteristically persistent.

"Why are you being so nice to a whore?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"I know a few people like you. In my experience, you could use all the help you can get." Sasuke might not have realized it but what he just said stung the blonde's pride and it was shown with a deep scowl and a cold shoulder as he stalked away from the raven.

Sasuke called out for him to stop a minute but the blonde just kept walking, "I don't need your charity, bastard. And to think I was ganna give you a proper 'thank you' for the cash."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist, "Don't you think you're being a little prideful, Naruto? It's just a meal. It's not like it means anything."

"And just what exactly would it mean?"

"Why so suspicious?"

"When you're in this business, you learn not to trust anyone. There are plenty of people that will promise a hooker, things but in the end they're only after one of two things; money or sex."

"I already gave you money and you already gave me sex, so what's the problem?" Naruto thought a moment before realizing it really was stupid to dodge a free meal and let the raven lead him to a dinner just a few blocks away. When they got there, they were seated at a booth table and given menus. Naruto tried to order all junk food but Sasuke ended up ordering for him.

There was an awkward silence as the two ate their meal. There wasn't much to be said. What were they going to talk about? Work? Naruto's work was hardly anything to be discussed while eating. Sasuke's occupation was still a mystery though. What job could you possibly have that would allow you to give away that much money? And why would he just be carrying it around like it was nothing?

"Uh…so, what do you do? You know, for money?" Naruto asked nervously.

"…I work for my families company, Uchiha Industries." Sasuke seemed rather reluctant to answer that question. Naruto wondered if he should go on…

Ah, what the hell?

"I've never heard of it. What do you do?"

Sasuke looked surprised, "Uh, well… its better if you don't know, trust me."

"Aw, come on! Tell me! It's not every day I get to meet a big business man…at least, not in this sort of way. We're usually…"

"I get." Sasuke stopped Naruto from explaining something rather uncomfortable, "But you still shouldn't know what kind of business we are so please, just stop asking." There was so much command to that comment, the blonde was sure he would be beheaded if he tried to pry any more information out of him. But Naruto was always very curious. This Sasuke was definitely worth getting to know more.

"Hey, I feel kind of bad about you buying the whole thing." Naruto said when the meal was over and everything said and done, "Let me pay you back."

"With what? I don't what your money. I gave it to you and you should spend it on something like clothes and groceries."

"What about sex?" Naruto asked almost too loudly.

"Listen, last night was nice and all but I'm not in to that sort of thing, alright?" Sasuke said quietly, hoping Naruto would get the hint.

"Right, that's why you were moaning and practically begging for more," He didn't get the hint.

"Really, Naruto, I'm not interested in anything you have to offer so just give it up."

"Fine; How about a kiss?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke was starting to get annoyed.

"It'll be quick, I promise. No one is even around to see."

Sasuke looked around the empty street to find that Naruto was right. It didn't seem like the blonde was going to take no for an answer and a kiss on the cheek wouldn't be all that bad, "Alright, but make it quick." The raven kept his head turned to allow Naruto access to his cheek. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he forgot that he was dealing with a prostitute and was completely shocked when Naruto reached up, turned the raven's head, and pressed his lips against his.

Sasuke felt heat rush to his face as Naruto began to lick at his lower lip. For reasons unknown to Sasuke, he opened his mouth and allowed Naruto's to enter. The blonde was just as surprised as Sasuke was. Was he playing some perverted game? The raven insisted that he wasn't gay yet everything he did with Naruto always ended up as something…well, gay. Naruto slowly pulled away with blushing cheeks and a smile on his face as he turned and headed home. Sasuke felt as if he had been taken advantage of and a scowl spread along his features.

"Well now, Sasuke," a smooth, deep voice called out from behind the raven, "I had always had my suspicions, with your utter lack of interest in girls, but now I'm completely convinced. What's his name?"

"Shut up, Itachi." Sasuke growled at his older brother.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You know you missed another meeting, right?" the older Uchiha said, coming closer to his little brother.

"Yeah, what of it? Naruto needed some help and… Ah! Wait!" the raven kicked himself when he realized he had just told Itachi the blonde's name.

"Ah, so his name's Naruto? Come hear little brother," he said as he wrapped an arm around Sasuke's shoulder, "It's time I teach you about the birds and the bees."

"And just what the hell would you know about gay sex?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, but I do know that males and females share a common sweet spot deep inside."

"We are not having this conversation." Sasuke said, trying to squirm away but Itachi had a firm grip on him.

"Oh, but we are. You see, little brother, it's important to know about these things before you get into bed with someone or you'll just end up embarrassing yourself."

"We aren't sleeping together. I'm not gay."

"Sure, sure. Anyway, father sent me to come find you. He says if you skip another meeting, you'll lose another digit (1)."

"What do I care…?"

Itachi looked down at his little brother with worried eyes. He had always felt a sense of protectiveness over him but there wasn't much he could do when it came to their father. If Sasuke kept this behavior up, there may not be much Itachi could do to protect him. But for now, he was going to focus on this new discovery of his. He had caught Sasuke with a man (and not a bad looking one either). Sasuke knew that Itachi knew, so it was only a matter of time before his little brother would open up to him about the situation.

**. . .**

Naruto made it back to his apartment in one piece and he still had all his money. If things worked out, he wouldn't have to work all this month. But he still needed to eat and he couldn't count on Sasuke for everything. His mind wandered back to that kiss in the street and how warm and gentle it had been. Most of the kisses he gave to clients were rushed and he often ended up having his lips bit until they bled. But Sasuke wasn't like that…

Naruto shook his head to banish the thought and turned on the TV to watch the news. The signal wasn't very clear but it was more than what he normally got.

"_A bo….uzuma….Thought that….."_

"Stupid TV." Naruto complained as hit the top of the television.

"_Breaking news in Hotaru Bay!"_

"There we go."

"_The charred remains of an unknown man were found along the shore. It's thought that the man was drenched in gasoline and burned alive before being dumped in the ocean. The murder is thought to be the work of the infamous Yakuza. Civilians are advised to stay indoors as much as possible."_

"The Yakuza, huh." The blonde said to himself, "Well, at least it wasn't Orochimaru."

**AN: Alright, all done with chapter one! Let me know what you all think! :D**

**1: I'm a little afraid to give you the explanation because I don't wanna give something kinda important away so you guys will just have to keep reading to find out what the little finger digit thing means…and if you already know, shhhhhhh! It's a secret!**

**P.S: To settle a bet, which sense/since is correctly used in the following sentence?**

**1. There was always the option of taking a cab but that would just be a waste of money. Especially SENSE he didn't really know any street names other than the ones he worked at night and he really wanted to avoid work today.**

**2. There was always the option of taking a cab but that would just be a waste of money. Especially SINCE he didn't really know any street names other than the ones he worked at night and he really wanted to avoid work today. **


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nearly a week since Naruto had last heard from Sasuke. He was starting to think the raven was only being nice for that moment; opportunistic. The money Sasuke had given him the first time they met hadn't lasted as long as Naruto would have liked. He was down to his last hundred. As a result, he was back on the streets looking for anyone who would have him. Still, the blonde wouldn't mind seeing Sasuke one more time, just to have someone to talk to. Naruto rubbed his chin, absentmindedly. His last client had been a bit ruff and a bruise was starting to form. It would make work difficult for a few days.

No one seemed very interested at this street and he really needed the money before the end of the month so he decided to move to the better street for picking up clients. It also happened to be the same bar he first saw Sasuke come out of that night. Maybe, subconsciously he wanted to run in to Sasuke again. He certainly wasn't one to skip out on pay. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he was going to show but that was the last thing on his mind when he suddenly found himself more popular with the drunken males than the pretty women were. It was the weekend and it seemed like everyone was in a partying mood. For every man thrown out for either drinking too much or unnecessary behavior, Naruto made fifty bucks. Business was booming.

He had just made another fifty and was about to go home for the night (it was getting late) when a sleek black car with some kind of design on the side pulled up. The blonde couldn't tell what brand it was but it looked expensive. Seizing the opportunity, Naruto walked up to the driver's window and tapped on the glass, reciting his usual pick up line. For some reason, he wasn't surprised when the window rolled down and Sasuke was looking at him with a slightly annoyed looked on his face.

"What a surprise." The raven said blandly.

"I could say the same for you. Is this like your favorite bar or something? You're here a lot."

"You've seen me here twice."

"That's more than I see my other former clients." Naruto joked, "So are you looking for a second go?" he continued, positioning his body and a flirtatious manner.

"No, I was just… What happened to your face?" Sasuke asked, surprised by the large bruise on the blonde's otherwise flawless face.

"Oh, this? A guy I had earlier liked it ruff. Of course he didn't tell me about it; I charge extra for fantasies and fetishes not that it mattered. The bastard didn't even pay me after." Naruto brought a hand to the bruise.

"Naruto…" Sasuke was at a loss. Naruto didn't seem to fully understand that he had been raped. He thought for a moment. There wasn't much a person in Naruto's position could do. Prostitution wasn't exactly supported by the justice system. More often than not, if a hooker ever did report a rape to a police officer, they wouldn't do much about it and were more interested in fining the prostitute rather than finding their rapist. Whatever the case, it hadn't seemed to cause Naruto any emotional trauma. In the end, Sasuke found it kinder not to explain it to him. He sighed heavily, "Get in the car."

"Ya change your mind?" Naruto asked, slightly smug.

"Yeah, that's it." The raven responded sarcastically.

Naruto gave him a confused look but got in the car without complaining. After the blonde was buckled in, they sped away. He was sure they were going way over the speed limit but no cop ever pulled them over. They finally came to a stop in a parking lot in front of a fancy looking building (fancy to Naruto anyway).

"Where are we?" the blonde asked.

"This is where I live."

"This whole place is your house?" Naruto shouted, surprised. He knew Sasuke had money but this much? It was unheard of!

"No, I live in one of the condos, dumbass."

"Oh…well, I didn't know! You gave me a five-hundred dollar tip! How was I supposed to know you weren't capable of living in a giant building like this? Bastard! Wait, what are we doing here in the first place?"

Sasuke sighed again and got out of the car. Naruto followed, "I thought you said you weren't interested in having sex." The blonde commented.

"Why is everything sex with you? I just thought you might like to stay in a nice place for once instead a cardboard box or whatever it is you sleep in." The raven replied.

"I'm not a hobo you know. I happen to live in an apartment a few blocks away from that bar you kidnapped me from."

"I'll take you back if you want."

"Uh, no thanks; this is good."

"Good, then stop complaining about sleeping in a nice place." Sasuke ended the conversation and began walking towards the building. Naruto fallowed close behind. They needed to take an elevator to get to Sasuke's door (it was on the top floor) so Naruto decided to use that time to study the dark haired man a little more closely. He looked at him from head to toe; a pale face with a delicately pointed chin (which would normally seem more feminine but on Sasuke it only added to the sharp, refined attitude that he had), broad chest and shoulders that made him look proud and macho. When he reached the hands he went a little pale.

The tip of his left pinky was gone. There was surely a logical explanation for this disturbing feature, right? Al he had to do was ask… but maybe some other time. Sasuke did seem a bit annoyed tonight. It was probably best to just leave it alone for now…

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The two men stepped out and made their way down the hall before stopping at the last door on the right. When Sasuke unlocked and opened the door, it was like Naruto had died and gone to heaven! There was a plush leather couch that sat in front of a huge TV, a kitchen complete with a dining table, microwave, oven, and a fully stocked fridge, and just down the hall was the only bedroom in the entire condo. He had Sasuke all to himself…

However, Naruto didn't seem the least bit interested in seducing the raven. He was to occupied with exploring his new dwellings with unspeakable enthusiasm, "This whole place is yours? You have it all to yourself? This is amazing! Good luck getting rid of me now!" the blonde exclaimed as he ran around like he was a kid who had been given one too many sodas to drink.

"Who says I was going to try and get rid of you? You're free to come and go as you please; no strings attached." Sasuke responded coolly.

Naruto looked back at him with a smile that melted the raven's heart, "Thanks, Sasuke."

Oh, if Naruto had been just a few feet closer or even sat still for a second, there was no question that Sasuke would have lost all control. Why would he feel such emotions toward another man? This sort of thing had never happened before. He didn't even know why he was being so nice to him. Maybe Itachi was right. Maybe he really was…

"Hey, Sasuke?"

The raven snapped out of his little trance at the sound of Naruto's voice, "What is it?"

"Where do I sleep?"

"You can sleep on the couch over here. I'll get you a blanket." Sasuke began to walk down to the hall closet when Naruto grabbed his wrist, "I'll make this up to you somehow, okay?" the blonde said with the same persistence as he had the other day.

"Just don't go and surprise me like you did last time, with the kiss. I don't like surprises." Naruto smiled even wider and happily agreed to the circumstances. When Sasuke returned with the blanket Naruto had somehow already fallen asleep on the couch. He couldn't help but think how one could be so incredibly hyper one minute and out like a light the next. He threw the blanket over the sleeping blonde and began to walk away when he heard Naruto's voice. He quickly turned around to see that he was still asleep.

"So, Naruto's a sleep talker, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

"Mmm…Sasuke…" he said again.

This could be a decent source of entertainment for Sasuke. He remembered when he was young how, on nights he couldn't sleep; he would sneak into Itachi's bedroom and listen to the older brother mumble the most random things (he talked in his sleep too, apparently). On more than one occasion he was caught because he would laugh so hard. But Naruto only said his name twice and stopped. He might have started talking again if Sasuke had the patience to wait a little longer but that was for a day he didn't feel like he was about to pass out.

**. . .**

Naruto was in a very deep sleep. He was in the middle of a dream that he didn't normally have; a sex dream (ironic, given his current occupation). He couldn't quite make out the face of his lover but a part of him knew it was Sasuke. He sighed his name as the other man entered him and once more when he breathed in his ear.

Sasuke went to silence him with a passionate kiss. It brought the sex to a whole new level, making Naruto's entire body heat up. The raven hit a spot, deep inside him and drove the blonde insane with lust. Naruto wrapped his arms around the other man's neck in a desperate need to feel closer to him. He ran his fingers through raven black hair and gasped sharply as Sasuke began to nibble on his neck.

"M-more, Sasuke…please…more…!" Naruto cried breathily.

The blonde would have been beyond happy if he had at least gotten to finish this wonderful dream but the sun had other plans. It pierced through his eye lids and destroyed the illusion his mind had created. It irritated him to no end, especially since he woke up with morning wood (thanks to that lovely dream). Not one for self pleasure, Naruto got up to take a cold shower.

He walked down the hall and opened one door that turned out to be the closet. It wasn't a total loss, at least. It had a stack of neatly folded towels on the top shelf. He tried the door across from the closet and found the bathroom. Unfortunately, he also found Sasuke.

Feeling the sudden rush of cool air from the door being opened, the raven peeked out from behind the shower curtain to see a blushing Naruto.

"Uh- Ah! Naruto? What the hell?"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here, I swear!"

"Get out!"

"Uh- right!"

Naruto rushed out of the occupied bathroom, slamming the door behind him and blushing furiously. He couldn't believe what he had just done. But walking in on Sasuke would have been comical, if not pleasurable, had he not had a dream about him last night. Now, Naruto was embarrassed. That's when he remembered the cigarettes in his pocket…

'Why didn't I just use these in the first place?' he thought to himself as he grumpily took out the pack. There was only one left. He would have to go and by more before he left for work. He only hoped no one had broken into his apartment and for his money.

Naruto put the cigarette in his mouth and pulled out the lighter as he sank to the floor, leaning against the wall behind him. Just as he lit it up, Sasuke came out in nothing but a towel and snatched it right out of his mouth.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted.

"If you're going to live here, you have to abide by my rules. Rule number one: no smoking anywhere."

"That's a stupid rule."

"Rule number two: no complaining about the rules."

"You just making these up as you go along."

"Rule number three: I can make up any rules at anytime and you can't do anything to stop me."

"B-bastard!" he was out of arguments. With his cigarette gone, he had no choice but to take the cold shower and quick, before Sasuke had a chance to notice. He took his towel and stalked into the bathroom.

"I'll bring you some clothes." Sasuke said before Naruto slammed the door.

Naruto made his shower as quick as possible, scrubbing himself clean while his erection ebbed away. When he was done, there was a set of clothes waiting for him on the counter with the sink. Next to them there was an extra tooth brush as well. He got dressed and brushed his teeth. He couldn't help but cringe when he saw himself in the mirror. He looked like someone important; someone who wouldn't have sex with any random stranger who happened to have the cash to pay for it.

He came out to the kitchen and saw Sasuke eating breakfast at the table. There was even an extra plate for him, "Are all your clothes this formal?" he asked as he sat down next to Sasuke.

"What else would I wear?" Sasuke asked, taking another bit of his cereal.

"I don't know. Something casual?"

"I don't go to any casual events."

"You could just wear them around your place or something. You don't have to be so serious all the time."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Let's go buy you some new clothes!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Let's not."

"But why?" the blonde whined.

"I hate shopping. That's something teenage girls do not important business men, like me." Sasuke commented.

"That's dumb." Naruto said, but let the subject drop.

They finished their breakfast in awkward silence. Sasuke got up and left without telling Naruto where he was going or saying anything at all really. Left to his own devices, the blonde quickly became bored and started to explore the rest of the building. It was like living in a hotel. The halls were wide and long so there was plenty of running room. How could the childish Naruto resist such an opportunity? He rushed down the hall full speed. If he had waited just a few seconds later he would have avoided running straight into a tall man coming off the elevator. They both went crashing to the ground.

"Oof! Sorry, mister. I didn't see ya there…" Naruto apologized, still sitting on the floor.

"It's fine. Besides, I wanted to meet you in person anyway." The taller man said, rising to his feet and offering a hand to a confused looking Naruto.

"Uh, do I know you?" he asked innocently, taking the hand of the stranger.

"No but I've seen you with my little brother before, though we never have formally been introduced. My name is Itachi." He said with a smile.

"Oh, so your Sasuke's brother?"

"That's right. Has ever mentioned me?" the older man asked rather hopefully.

"Not once." The blonde answered bluntly.

A sense of gloom hung over Itachi. Naruto felt bad for the poor guy. Why wouldn't Sasuke mention that he had a brother? Yet another thing he would have to ask Sasuke about someday.

"Anyway, I came by because I needed to discuss something with Sasuke." Itachi continued.

"Well, he's not around. He left about an hour ago and I don't know when he'll be back but I guess you could stay until then." Naruto offered feeling a bit responsible for Itachi's saddened mood. Itachi gladly accepted the invitation and two sat talked on the couch until Sasuke would return.

The raven had just stepped out of the elevator and was lugging around a fairly large shopping bag. His feet were sore and he couldn't wait to flop on the couch in front of the TV. However, when he opened the door to his condo he was greeted by the excited chatter of Naruto and the calmness of Itachi's voice. It was going to be a long day…

"Hey, Sasuke, I didn't know you had a brother!" Naruto shouted from across the room when he saw the other man enter.

"That's because I didn't tell you. What the hell are you doing here, Itachi?" Sasuke said in a very irritated voice.

"Hey, I thought you hated shopping! Why would you go without me?" the blonde whined before Itachi had a chance to answer Sasuke's question.

"Those are yours. Why don't you go try them on in my room while I speak with Itachi?"

"Kay!" Naruto rushed off into Sasuke's bedroom; leaving the two Uchiha's alone. He dumped the bag of clothes on the king sized bed and had to admit; even though Sasuke never wore any casual clothes, he had pretty good taste.

There was an orange hooded jacket that would go with pretty much anything and several t-shirts, both long and short sleeved. There were only two pairs of shorts in the mix but that was probably only because around this time of year they would be on sale. He happily striped himself of the dressy clothes Sasuke had lent him and put on each new outfit to make sure they fit. How the raven was able to calculate what size he was, was beyond him but at least he was a bit more comfortable. He finally settled on one outfit (a black t-shirt with a white design and a loose pair of jeans) and quietly slipped out to show it off to Sasuke.

As Naruto walked down the hall he began to hear murmurs and stopped halfway. They were still talking together. He would have turned around and waited for their private conversation to end but he heard his name being mentioned an offal lot. He concluded he had an obligation to listen in on them. After all, they were talking about him.

"It isn't safe to keep him around here, Sasuke. You know what will happen if our father finds out." Itachi said with concern.

"He isn't living here or anything. It's just a place for him to stay when he needs to." Sasuke argued.

"Yes, that's why you went and bought him an entire wardrobe."

"He said he didn't like anything dressy and the clothes he already had were so worn down he was practically naked. I was out of common courtesy."

"Keep telling yourself that, little brother. Anyway, I have to be going now; a few personal matters to attend."

"You mean that chick with the weird hair is forcing you to take her out again."

"Hn."

There was the sound of the door opening and closing then Sasuke called out for Naruto, telling him that he could come out now. The blonde tried to act like nothing was wrong, that he hadn't heard what he just heard, but it was eating away at the back of his mind. Why wasn't he safe staying with Sasuke? What could their father possibly have against him? Maybe he was just worrying too much. He wasn't even going to stay here long. There was nothing to worry about…right?

"How do you like your new clothes, Naruto?" Sasuke asked calmly.

"They're nice." The blonde's enthusiasm had shrunk immensely. Sasuke noticed but decided to leave it be for now.

The raven moved toward the couch and started watching TV. Naruto decided to join him, seeing as though there wasn't much else for him to do. He knew that he should probably be out making money right now but he felt a little sick to his stomach after what he had just over heard (maybe even a little paranoid). He propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He noticed Sasuke give him a pestered looked and waited for a lecture but it never came.

Naruto didn't exactly like the show Sasuke was watching (some boring theory about how the world was made) so he snatched up the remote and changed the channel to a music video. Sasuke did not like that.

"Hey!" the raven shouted when he saw the channel change.

"That show was boring. This is more fun."

"I liked that show! Change it back."

"Make me!" Naruto challenged.

Sasuke didn't waste any time in tackling the blonde and making a grab for the remote but Naruto wasn't letting go, "Give it back!" the raven demanded.

"No way! I like this song!"

They strained harder against each other until Sasuke noticed just what he was doing. Naruto only noticed when Sasuke stopped struggling so much. He felt himself blush and flashed back to the little dream he'd had of Sasuke. The both looked at each other, not really knowing what to do in this situation. The raven couldn't help but think how cute Naruto looked when he blushed and his cheeks turned a light pink as a result. He moved to try and get off the blonde but Naruto stopped him.

Naruto leaned in and brushed his lips against Sasuke's in a nervous manner. The raven said he didn't like surprises and the blonde certainly didn't want to upset him. Then, out of nowhere, Sasuke pressed his lips to Naruto's, hard. The kiss wasn't anything awkward. It was strong and warm and Sasuke even went as far as to feel up Naruto's shirt. The blonde laced his fingers through soft black hair as Sasuke's hips began to buck slowly, driving Naruto mad. He had to have him. Now. Naruto reached down to undo the raven's pants and just barely managed to get the belt undone when the door opened.

"Wouldn't you know it; I got all the way down to my car and realized left my keys… here…" Itachi trailed off when he noticed what he had just interrupted.

"Uh, no! it's not what it looks like! Naruto and I were just fighting over the remote and…" Sasuke tried desperately to come up with an excuse but an evil grin spread across the older brother's face.

"I knew it! I totally knew! You two _are_ a couple!" Itachi exclaimed as his little brother stuttered and stumbled over his words.

Naruto only sat quietly, blushing furiously and trying to sort things out himself. He hadn't felt this way towards anyone before. He didn't think he could. Naruto was beginning to worry about his own sanity. There was no way he could actually…fall in love…

**AN: DUN DUN DUN! Aw, poor naru-chan! And Sasuke too! Just how will you explain this to your pretty brother? **

**Thank you all for helping with the little sense/since issue too. My friend and I simply can't agree on certain things without a third party. Y'all rock! X3**

**Be sure to read ch.3!**

**~Kanna-chan **


	3. Chapter 3

Sasuke Uchiha found himself going home earlier than he had planned. He had been avoiding Naruto as much as possible (ever since their little battle over the remote) by staying out late and leaving before the blonde ever woke up in the morning. However, Itachi quickly caught on to his little brother's plan and began forming his own. The older brother knew Sasuke wouldn't go home at a decent hour without proper persuasion. Eventually, he had no choice but to resort to black mail. Itachi threatened to tell their father of Sasuke's little fling with Naruto if he didn't leave at that moment and actually talk to the blonde when he arrived home.

The raven was just stepping out of the elevator when a man with glasses came down the hall and walked right past him. Their eyes locked for a split second before the stranger walked into the elevator and the doors closed. Sasuke didn't know the guy, but he could already tell he didn't like him. He continued down the hall and managed to make it to his door. But something was off. The door was cracked. He was sure he had locked it when he left that morning. Maybe Naruto had gone out…but then again, he had told Naruto he didn't need to "work" as long as he was staying with him. He wouldn't have any reason to go, would he?

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out as he walked through the door. There was no answer. In fact, it was completely silent. _That_ worried him, "Naruto?" the raven called again, more urgently this time. Naruto wasn't anywhere near the front of the condo. He hurried to toward his bedroom. Sasuke couldn't help but feel relieved that Naruto was still there and alive.

A grown escaped the blonde's lips. He was hunched over the bed, his new shirt ripped a good tow inches from the collar and from where Sasuke was standing, it seemed his lip was split and dripping blood onto the sheets.

"Jeez, Naruto, are you alright?" Sasuke asked, crossing the room to help the blonde to his feet.

"Mother fucker found out I moved." Naruto said in a strained voice.

"What do you mean? Who did this to you, Naruto?"

"Orochimaru, my…uh, boss. It's the end of the month and that's when I'm supposed to pay him his share. His little bitch, Kabuto, went over to my old apartment and when he realized I wasn't there it didn't take long for him to figure out where I was staying. He kind of took some of your money… sorry."

"It's not a big deal." The Uchiha said, taking a closer look at the blonde's injuries. A split lip and a black eye were obvious but Naruto seemed to be showing signs of a concussion, "You need to go to the hospital."

"No way! Look, I'm fine! Just a little ruffed up is all." Naruto insisted as he attempted to stand, "I'm totally…fine…"

Attempt failed.

Naruto took two wobbly steps toward Sasuke before losing all sense of balance. He would have landed face first had the raven not been there to catch him. However, Sasuke wasn't able to brace himself in time and they both crashed to the floor. The blonde made some effort to haul himself off the other male but too little avail.

"Still think you don't need to go to the hospital?" Sasuke groaned as he helped Naruto to sit up. His face reddened when he realized the blonde wasn't exactly trying to keep himself from sitting on the others lap. It felt a bit awkward to the raven. All Naruto could do was groan in pain and exhaustion as he leaned his head against Sasuke's shoulder (which only caused Sasuke to blush more), "C-come on, Naruto. You might be more seriously hurt than you think." The Uchiha lifted Naruto and himself back to a standing position and held the blonde's arm across his shoulders as they made their way down to the parking lot and into Sasuke's car.

Naruto stared blankly out the window as they drove along the highway to the hospital. All he could think about was the last time he was in such a dreaded place. He could sharply remember the sterile scent of the entire building and the cries of shier pain…

"Naruto, we're here." The blonde snapped out of his haunting memory at the sound of Sasuke's soft yet deep voice.

"Great…" he said spitefully.

Sasuke hurried around to the passenger's side to help Naruto out of the car, lest he fall over again. Naruto looked particularly anxious as they entered the building and one of the nurses escorted them to a room where a doctor was waiting for them.

She had a head of shockingly pink hair and bright blue green eyes. When the two men entered her room she immediately turned in a friendly manner to greet them but the kind smile she wore was soon replaced with a concerned expression when she saw the condition Naruto was in.

"Hello, my name is Sakura Haruno. I'll be your doctor. So, what happened to you?" the doctor asked in a somewhat sweet voice.

Naruto was silent, nervously rubbing his arm. Sasuke gave him a nudge to encourage him but it didn't help much. The raven quickly gave up and spoke for the blonde, "He got into a fight with some guy. We need to know if it looks worse than it is."

"I see. Well, let's take a look." She said, motioning for Naruto to have a seat on the observation bench, "Hm, I don't think you have a concussion but just to be on the safe side, I'd like it if you stayed the night here." Sakura said after taking a thorough look at the blonde. She couldn't help but notice the strange expression that came over Sasuke's face, "Don't worry too much sir. It's only a precaution. You could even stay the night with him if you'd like." She smiled warmly in understanding.

"Uh, yeah, thanks." Sasuke said, blushing slightly.

"Now, if the two of you would kindly follow me, I'll show you to your room."

Naruto hopped off the bench and followed close behind Sasuke. The boy didn't exactly trust women. He had had a few ruff encounters with them before and his uneasiness around them was the result. The young female doctor didn't seem to care or even notice, though. The two men were escorted to a private room. Sakura handed Naruto a standard hospital gown and pointed in the direction of the bathroom located in the room.

When the door was safely shut the pink-haired girl turned to Sasuke, "If you don't mind my asking, are the two of you lovers?"

Sasuke's face immediately turned a bright shade of red, "W-what gave you that idea?"

"It's not like its obvious or anything," the girl giggled, "I'm just more observant than most people. I see the way you look at him and when you heard he would be staying here over night, the look on your face made it seem like you were so worried it was painful."

Sasuke broke eye contact with the doctor. He had been thinking about the blonde quite a bit but he didn't think his face was showing any kind of expression; certainly not any that would make it look like he was actually in love with the other male. He wasn't. He couldn't be. All they had really done was kiss… (Sasuke wasn't counting that one time in the ally)

Naruto immerged from the bathroom complaining about the new outfit as Sakura took his old clothes and left them alone with strict instructions not to sleep for the entire night. An awkward silence fell over the room. Sasuke looked at the clock to see it was only seven o'clock. It would be a long night…

Hours passed without the two so much as even looking at each other. At around ten o'clock, Sasuke began to feel a bit more tired but didn't want to sleep. He knew he had to say something to Naruto.

"So… why did you become a prostitute?" the raven asked nervously.

The blonde looked at Sasuke from his bed like he had grown a second head, "Uh… well, I needed the money." He asked, confused.

"Why didn't you get a real job?" Sasuke pressed.

"I never even finished high school… plus, when I started… I was only thirteen. I couldn't get a real job."

Sasuke was in shock. A thirteen year old boy selling his body was unthinkable, "Naruto… why would you…?"

"Because I didn't know what else to do. I lived with my mom and when she got sick she couldn't work. We were ganna lose our house. What else could I do…?"

"Hm." was all the raven could muster as a response.

There was another awkward silence.

"What happened to your finger?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Your pinky; part of it is missing. What happened to it?"

"Oh, uh, work related accident…"

"Okay, so how'd that happen?"

"I…don't remember." Sasuke was dodging the questions; that much was obvious. It only made Naruto more curious as to what exactly damaged his finger.

The two managed to stay away from anymore sensitive topics and the night went on. It was soon far too late for Sasuke to be awake and he tried to find a comfortable position in the chair that sat between Naruto's bed and the window. Unfortunately, he had no such luck. The blonde couldn't help but feel sorry for Sasuke.

"You can sleep in the bed with me if you want. I'm sure it would fit the both of us; no problem." Naruto offered, completely unembarrassed by the slightly suggestive comment he had made.

Sasuke, on the other hand, turned a faint shade of pink, "Uh, that's fine. I'll make due right here." He said, making yet another vain attempt to get comfortable in the hard, under-stuffed chair.

"What? You afraid I'll rape you while you sleep or something? Just 'cause I'm gay doesn't mean I'm ganna go and try to have sex with every guy I meet." Naruto joked.

"No, that's why you're a prostitute." Sasuke joked back, "But I guess you're right," he sighed, "There's no point in trying to sleep in a chair when there's a perfectly useable bed at your disposal."

Naruto laughed lightly in victory as the Uchiha reluctantly crawled into bed with him. However, Sasuke was finding it even more difficult to fall asleep (seeing as though there was a male hooker sitting next to him).

"Hey, Sasuke, you asleep?" the blonde asked after about thirty minutes had past.

"…No."

"I'm getting really sleepy. Can you help me to stay awake?"

"And just how do you propose I do that?"

"I don't know. Jump around on the bed."

"Just get up and walk around for a bit."

"But I'm too tired to get up."

"That's the point." Sasuke was beginning to loose patience with the other male. He rolled over to face him and only then realized how close they really were.

Naruto had done him the courtesy of rolling over to where his back would face the other but that wasn't much help now. The blonde hadn't seemed to notice yet and he was mumbling something to himself that Sasuke couldn't understand. He was too engrossed by the scent of Naruto's hair, how stray locks would occasionally tickle his face. But most of all, Sasuke was distracted by the fact that Naruto had turned over to meet his gaze and was locked in those deep blue eyes.

The blonde had stopped talking by now. He had thought Sasuke had fallen asleep on him and was going to wake him up but plans had changed. The raven seemed to be looking straight into his very soul. It was such an intense gaze; he had never experienced something like this. Suddenly, they found each other much closer than before but by then there was no turning back. A gentle brush of the lips, a faint rush of breathe, and that was it.

It was a soft kiss. One that lack lust or hunger. It was just a simple kiss. But it meant so much more than either of them could have ever imagined at the moment. All that truly mattered right then was the two of them; so close and intimate. Sasuke unconsciously ran his fingers through Naruto's soft golden hair. When they eventually broke the kiss, all they really did was lie there, next to each other, with out worry or care.

**. . .**

They made it through the night without either of them falling asleep. Sakura had come in to find the two cuddling up and was afraid to find that they had disobeyed her orders but went into fangirl mode after seeing them only half asleep and still so adorably close. Sasuke was only thankful it had been the one girl who had caught on to their complicated relationship before hand that had found them like that. If Itachi had come by to visit them at that moment, he never would have heard the end of it.

However, he did find it impossible to drive in his condition and had to call his older brother to come to his rescue. The two of them slept the entire way home and for a good three more hours after being dragged to all the way up to Sasuke's condo. Naruto was unable to make it to the bedroom and crashed on the couch while the raven wasn't even able to pull himself under the covers.

He woke up to Naruto digging through his drawers for a fresh pair of clothes in nothing but a towel barely hugging his waist (he apparently took a shower). Sasuke simply watched until the blonde noticed he was awake.

"I don't know how this is going to work, Naruto…" he said in a dreary tone.

"How what's going to work?" the blonde asked, confused.

"You know…us… I don't think I'm ready for all of this…"

"Don't worry about it. It's not like we're dating or anything. You don't have to take me out to dinner or shit like that. It's not a big deal." Naruto said coldly as he pulled a pair of boxers from the drawer.

"Then this never happened." Sasuke said as he pulled the towel off of Naruto and pinned the blonde against the wall with a searing kiss. It wasn't long before the both of them were hard and Naruto was fumbling with the button on the raven's pants. They wrestled to the bed, struggling for dominance but Sasuke eventually came out on top (literally). He tugged at Naruto's hair with one hand while the other spread his legs to gain entrance into Naruto.

"S-Sasuke…" Naruto sighed as the raven's lips moved from bruised lips to an exposed, tan neck.

Sasuke began to make his mark, his possessive side taking over, as he sucked and bit on one spot on Naruto's neck. His hands slid to the blonde's nipples, playing with them until they hardened. At a whim, Sasuke plunged into Naruto and the blonde cried out in a mixture of pain and ecstasy. The raven remained motionless until Naruto had adjusted to the feeling before slowly thrusting in and out.

"Sasuke…!" Naruto cried again as their pace steadily increased.

Suddenly, the raven shifted so that they were sitting up (Naruto being on his lap) so that Naruto would be forced to wrap his arms around Sasuke for support. Heavy panting filled the air as the raven helped Naruto to move around his shaft. Their pace quickened and it wasn't long before the blonde felt a sudden sensation brought on by Sasuke brushing up against his prostate. Naruto cried out in absolute pleasure as Sasuke grinned wickedly. He gave another hard thrust in the same place and was rewarded with yet another sigh of ecstasy. He kept pounding away at the sensitive spot until finally, Naruto came, spilling his seed on both of them. As Naruto's grip tightened around him, Sasuke reached his peek as well and they collapsed beside each other in a sweaty, heaving mess.

Sasuke gazed at the other male next to him. How was Naruto able to shake thing off so easily. He had actually enjoyed the kiss they'd shared in the hospital bed but to the blonde it seemed like it was nothing more than just that; a kiss. His eyes wandered to the love bite he had left on Naruto's neck and smiled to himself. Weather he liked it or not, Naruto belonged to Sasuke now and he wouldn't give him up easily.

**AN: omg such a short chapter… -.- Sorry for not updating sooner. I had writers block and by the time that cleared up I didn't have internet access! My luck sticks… but yeah I'm not too proud of this chapter. Not only is it short but it's sloppy and rushed. Normally my sex scenes are way better than this one. All well… please give me lots of nice reviews (reviews are Yuki-chan's candy X3) **

**~Yuki-chan **


	4. Chapter 4

December twentieth.

Winter was in full swing and Christmas was just around the corner. Naruto had been living with Sasuke for the last two months and things had been going very well for the blonde. Not only had Sasuke provided him with a place to stay and a steady stream of money to pay off his pimp (though he did pay a little extra to keep Kabuto quiet) but they were officially "fuck buddies". Nothing too serious had come from the complicated relationship. They simply had sex whenever either of them felt like it (and they felt like it a lot). However, Naruto had started to become a bit more attached to Sasuke than he had intended and was really beginning to like the raven. He considered the two of them to be friends, although, it was a very strange friendship.

The blonde would have loved nothing more than to earn enough money to buy Sasuke a Christmas present but it seemed that he was on house arrest. The raven flat out refused to allow Naruto outside of the house without him, to make sure he didn't "work" ever. When Sasuke was out with business, he would hire Itachi to babysit the blonde as if he didn't trust him (which he didn't). It left Naruto in quiet a dilemma. But he was determined and he had a plan.

"Hey, Itachi?" the blonde asked as innocently as possible as he sat on the couch, next to Itachi.

"Hm?"

"I was just thinking how boring it is here. Can we go for a walk or something?"

"Nice try Naruto, but those weak tricks won't work on me."

"Oh, come on! Sasuke would never have to know!"

"Why are you so persistent about going out to have sex with random strangers?"

"I need the money... Okay, the truth is I want to get Sasuke a present but I got to get the money first. And don't say 'You can just barrow some money from me' because that defeats the purpose. I want to get the present myself without any help from others." Naruto explained.

Itachi looked down at the pouting blonde that he had grown to love like a second little brother. It seemed Naruto was actually not trying to trick him this time if the faint blush he had developed was any indication, "Alright, let's go find you a job." He sighed.

Naruto's face light up and he cheered ion victory, "We gatta get some decorations too! This is going to be so fun!" he exclaimed as they walked out the door of the complex and into the parking lot. They pilled into the older Uchiha's car and before long they were downtown. Naruto immediately made an attempt at working the corner but when Itachi said "let find you a job" he had something entirely different in mind.

"Alright, Naruto, staring now, you are officially my assistant, meaning: you work for me."

Naruto's jaw dropped, "Ah! You bastard! You tricked me! I already told you I don't want any hand outs!"

"Who said I was giving you hand outs? You're going to earn every penny I give you, weather you like it or not."

The blonde grumbled before conceding to the older man's proposition, "Alright, fine. So what do I do?"

"I actually have to go and make a collection. A guy barrowed some money from me and it's time he pay it back. The thing is, sometimes, people like these can get a bit violent so I might need you for back up." Itachi explained.

Naruto wasn't too sure about this new job Itachi had suddenly given him. But, then again, he didn't really know much outside of his world. For all he knew, this was how people did business. They walked down to a rather large building and straight past the secretary who was too busy filing her nails to notice the two men passing by. Naruto just assumed she was expecting them. The man they were supposed to meet was on the top floor of a ten story building. The elevator ride up was quiet except for Naruto's grumbling and complaining. They finally made it to the top floor and were just about to enter the guy's office when the door opened to reveal a man with shockingly crimson red hair.

"Gaara?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Naruto?" the red head responded.

"Hey! It is you, Gaara! It's been forever!"

Gaara glanced at Itachi and back at Naruto, "It has." he said, sounding slightly shocked.

"You know him, Naruto?" the Uchiha asked.

"Yeah, Gaara's a, uh, coworker of mine."

"Well, why don't you two stay out here and catch up while I take care of business." The older man said as he entered the room with a very nervous looking man behind a desk and closed the door. There was a bit of commotion but the two males ignored it.

"So when and how did you manage to quit Orochimaru?" Gaara asked.

"I didn't exactly quit. This guy I met, Sasuke, he's kind of keeping me prisoner in his condo and his older brother suddenly decided to hire me as his assistant. Sasuke's paying off Orochimaru for me."

"You got a lucky break. You don't have to work anymore."

"Yeah." Naruto grumbled, "What about you?"

"Still a whore; even if it's not for Orochimaru, this kind of work is hard to quit and believe me, I've tried." He sighed, regretful. There was a loud crash from behind the closed door that made the two of them jump, "But it seems you might have an easier time, considering the people you're hanging around with."

"What?"

The door opened and Itachi came out with a smile on his face, "Alright, Naruto, we're all done here."

"That was fast." The blonde commented.

"My style's a bit more efficient than most. So why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh, right. Itachi, Gaara. Gaara, Itachi."

They shook hands and walked out the front door of the building together as if nothing had happened. Somewhere along the way, Gaara mentioned not having anywhere to live, having been evicted from his apartment. Itachi, being the big-hearted man that he was, felt obliged to allow the redhead to live in his little brother's condo (isn't he nice). Naruto was understandably excited about having the only other friend he had, besides Sasuke, staying with him.

Gaara had been his first friend when he was just starting out as a prostitute, the red head being a good few years older than he. Gaara was a father figure to the child and protected him as best he could (though he did begin to feel something toward the blonde that a real father would or should never feel for their child). In fact he had saved the younger boy once before from a man that had a little more in mind than sex with a minor. Unfortunately, things got so bad for the red head, he had no choice but to make a break for it to the other side of town, far away from his former pimp, Orochimaru. It wasn't something that he wanted to do but he had reason to believe the man wanted to kill him. It was a last resort. He didn't even have time to say goodbye to his close friend. It wasn't an easy task.

When they got to Itachi's car, the raven handed Naruto a check for a thousand dollars. The blonde took on an expression that seemed a cross between shock and confusion, "What the heck is this?"

"Christmas bonus." The older man said coolly.

"That's a ridiculous amount considering I didn't really do anything."

"It's also your severance pay. You're fired." He said with a grin.

Naruto looked severely irritated and Gaara just looked confused. Much to the blonde's dismay, Itachi had found a way around his "no hand outs" standards. Nevertheless, it couldn't be helped.

The next few stops were all store that Naruto found interesting but it turned out the Blonde was very particular about what present to buy Sasuke. He wanted to make sure it was perfect. After all, the raven did save him from eventual doom at the hands of his pimp, Orochimaru. It was the least he could do. Naruto tore thought shop upon shop looking for just the right gift but could find a single one that met his ridiculously high standards. Even Itachi was trying to convince him that any thing would do for his little brother if it came from Naruto. But the blonde paid no mind to the man that had tricked him.

However, Naruto's patience was beginning to wane. It seemed he would never find the one perfect gift he didn't even know what was. The exhausted blonde gave up and was about to simply buy a new pair of shoes when an antique shop caught his attention through the corner of his eye. It seeped a certain essence that seemed to tell him that whatever he was looking for was in there.

He strolled over, Gaara and Itachi fallowing, and began to browse the shelves full of dusty figures and things of silver. He began to think there really wasn't anything here for him; that the sixth sense that prodded him before was just him loosing his mind.

"Can I help you?" the shopkeeper popped up out of nowhere.

Naruto yelped in surprise, "I-I was just looking."

"For you or for someone else… perhaps someone you love…?" the keeper pressed.

Naruto fought a blush creeping up on him, "M-maybe…"

"Ah, come with me. I have just the thing." The strange man motioned for the blonde to follow. He looked over to Itachi and Gaara, who were arguing over some ancient painting, before leaving with the man.

The keeper led him all the way into the back of the shop and rummaged through a few boxes before giving a sudden shout of victory and pulling out what looked to be a dusty old book and handed it to Naruto.

"Who ever this person is, I'm absolutely sure they will love this. Trust me. I have a sixth sense about these sort of things." The old man smiled at Naruto who only gawked at the piece of literature.

It was certainly Sasuke's style; that much was for sure, "How, much do I owe you?"

"Mmm… well, I don't usually do this but… for you, nothing. It's on the house." The keeper gave a squinty eyed smile and Naruto returned the favor before rejoining his friends. They stopped once more to pick up a tree and few decorations before finally heading back to Sasuke's place.

**. . .**

A weary Sasuke opened the door to his condo to find a complete stranger ransacking his fringe and Naruto and Itachi chatting on the couch as if nothing was wrong, "Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?" the raven shouted, half shocked and half confused.

Gaara peaked from behind the fridge door to look at Sasuke and then to Itachi, "I thought you said he wouldn't mind." The red head stated.

"Well he won't here in a moment when we explain the situation." The older Uchiha said with a smile.

"The hell I won't!" Sasuke protested.

"But Sasuke," Naruto butt in, "He's my friend. He got kicked out of his apartment. Your place is so big, I figured you wouldn't mind having just one more. Besides, you're not going to put someone out on the streets at Christmas are you?" the blonde gave him an irresistibly cute look and the raven practically didn't have a choice but to allow the unexpected guest to stay; at least until he got a new place to stay.

Sasuke sighed heavily, picked up the bag he had dropped in all the commotion and went into his room, hardly even noticing the large tree just off to the side of his TV. He dumped the contents onto his bed and began to scrounge for the wrapping paper he kept in his closet. The entire roll was actually a few years old. He didn't give presents away that often. In fact, it had been left over from one of Itachi's birthdays when they were kids. He hadn't paid any attention to it since they had a falling out. Sasuke quickly wrapped his gift he had bought especially for Naruto and hid it under his bed. No all he had to do was keep the blonde from snooping around his room which would most likely mean no sex until Christmas was over and done with. The raven never did like the holidays.

He returned to his living room only to find Itachi saying his goodbyes to Naruto and the strange redhead, "So who exactly is this guy, Naruto?"

"This is Gaara. He took care of me when I was a kid even though he was still young himself. He was like a father to me." Naruto explained, blushing slightly.

Sasuke looked the one called Gaara. He had striking red hair that couldn't possibly be his natural color, even more stringing eyes (a sea-foam green color with dark, nearly black rings that surrounded both eyes), and even Sasuke had to admit he had a nice build.

"Nice to meet you, I suppose." The raven defiantly had a few trust issues with the stranger.

Gaara nodded, always being the more silent type, "Were do I sleep?" he asked.

"You can stay on the couch over there. Naruto, it seems you'll have to sleep in my bed." Sasuke reveled in the blonde's glowing red face. Naruto had the cutest blush he had ever seen. Since the other male was going to be sleeping in his room anyway, there wasn't much point to the whole "no sex till Christmas" thing, now was there?

The day flew by for Naruto. He spent the entire time talking with his old friend about things that had happened to them over the years of their separation and the times they had shared before. However, it had been a long day and Naruto, as well as Gaara, was beginning to grow tired and eventually they said good night. Gaara settled in on the sofa but Naruto was nervous about sharing a bed with Sasuke. He had never intentionally slept in the same bed as someone else. If he ever did get into another person's bed, it was only to have sex and then leave, quickly. This would be a completely new experience all together.

He entered the room and saw a steadily breathing Sasuke (who had gone in a few hours before Naruto) sleeping peacefully under the heavy blankets. The blonde crawled in carefully so he wouldn't disturb the other male and made himself cozy. Everything was still. Naruto felt as though his heart was about to explode. He slowly peeked over to see the calm, tranquil face of the raven and almost gasped. Sasuke never looked this at easy when he was awake. There was always a deep, seemingly permanent scowl etched across his features. Naruto couldn't help himself. He stretched out his arm and stroked the silky black hair that lay on the side of the raven's face.

That was a mistake.

Sasuke's eyes flew open and locked with Naruto's deep blue ones, "Are you that distracted that you can't even sleep near me?"

"N-no…!"

"Then why would you wake me up?"

"I didn't mean to."

"Sure." The raven said before hauling his body on top of the other's. For Sasuke, his sudden desire to hump was completely justified with the need to tire the blonde out so that he wouldn't stumble upon his present out of boredom.

"W-wait, Sasuke, maybe we shouldn't. I mean, Gaara's just in the next room…" Naruto blushed as he pleaded weakly for Sasuke to stop.

"Then I guess you'd better be quiet." The raven countered and silenced Naruto with a searing kiss.

In the next room, Gaara lay awake with an ache deep within his chest. It seemed Naruto was all grown up now. What did he need him for? He rolled over and hid underneath the blanket I an attempt to block out the moans and sighs coming from down the hall. A part of him wanted to barge in and stop the entire thing but another part just wanted to pretend it wasn't happening and that his little Naruto was just as attached to him as he ever was.

"Sasuke…!" he heard Naruto moan loudly from the raven's bedroom. Gaara grit his teeth. He definitely hated Sasuke.

**. . .**

Early the next morning, Gaara woke before either of his roommates. He decided he would make breakfast for all three of them. Scrambled eggs and a side of bacon were what was on the menu for the morning. It was pretty much the only thing the redhead knew how to make. The scent of food attracted a familiar blonde. He wandered into the kitchen in nothing but his boxers, half asleep. The sight made Gaara blush slightly but he quickly went back to his cooking, scooping the now finished eggs and bacon onto to plates for the tow of them to enjoy.

All in all, it was a nice morning for the redhead. That is, until Sasuke woke up and joined the group. When that happened, the pleasant conversation Naruto and Gaara were having, was abruptly ended as the blonde's attention was steered toward Sasuke. Poor Gaara felt completely left out in the cold. The two didn't even seem to notice him get up and leave the apartment without even finishing his food.

The sky held a gloomy look as clouds blocked out the sun. It matched his mood. He didn't shiver when a sudden gust of cold, biting wind failed to nock him over. However, it did succeed in blowing away his scarf. Instinctively, he chased after it without a second thought. He was so focused on trying to catch it, he nearly ran over some poor girl.

"Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going!" she shouted at him and managing to catch the scarf for him.

"Sorry…" Gaara said, gratefully taking the scarf from her hands.

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easy."

He looked at her in a curious way. Normally, people got to know each other before being so rude… But then, again, he nearly did trample her to death, "What do you mean…?" he said cautiously.

"You owe me for running me over and for catching that stupid scarf for you. Tow hundred bucks."

"What?" Gaara said in outrage.

"Hey, girls gotta eat." She said smugly.

Gaara looked at her closely. Long, black hair contrasted against pail skin. He noticed how thin she was. Too thin. Her hair was in a knotted mess. She practically had dreads. He quickly came to the conclusion that she was homeless, "Where are you parents?" he said, thinking the girl couldn't be more than sixteen years old.

The girl fell quiet, "I don't need them…"

"…What's your name?"

"Hotaru."

"Do you have a place to live, Hotaru?"

"Of course I do. What do you care? You don't even know me." She said, getting loud again.

"I might know you better than you think… Why don't you come with me? I can find you a place to live and some food to eat. How does that sound?"

Hotaru looked at him with mild suspicion, "You're not a pervert are you?"

Gaara almost laughed at that, "No."

"Well, alright. I mean, it's not like I've got anything to loose, right?" she smiled and fallowed the redhead back to Sasuke's place.

"What am I? Some kind of rescue shelter?" Sasuke yelled, fuming at the mouth. Naruto laughed at the whole predicament, mumbling something about how it was like bringing home a lost puppy and asking mom if you could keep it.

"She doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"Well she can't go here!"

Gaara gave the raven a look and herded him to the bedroom for a more private chat, leaving Naruto and Hotaru alone.

"Look, I think she's a runaway. I don't know the whole situation but… I came from a broken home. I ran away when I was her age an ended up a hooker. I can't tell you how many time how many times I came close to being killed by drunks and rapists. I wouldn't be able to live with my self if I let that happen to her. Could you?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. It was a guilt trip for sure but he made a good point. He remembered the time he had found Naruto after he had supposedly been raped. But Naruto was a man. He would have been able to tae care of himself if push came to shove. A young girl on the other hand, wouldn't stand a chance, "…Alright fine, she can stay for now. But once you move out she goes with you, got it?"

Gaara nodded and left the room to tell Hotaru the good news. It was a good thing to because in the short few minutes the boys were talking, Naruto and her had gotten to be quite attached to each other. They were like long lost siblings, reunited after so many years. If Gaara had failed at convincing Sasuke, he wouldn't have been able to say no to his little spoiled blonde.

And so, Hotaru was fed and it was decided that she would sleep on the couch while Gaara slept on the floor below. The day past quickly and everyone was up late talking and swapping stories, though no one could get the new girl to tell any of them where she had come from. But that was to be expected. At around midnight, Sasuke and Naruto went to bed, leaving Hotaru and Gaara alone.

"Are they gay?" she asked suddenly.

"How did you know that?" Gaara asked, surprised.

"Just a talent of mine. I can spot a homo from a mile away. I don't have a problem with gays though. It's just something you don't see everyday, you know?"

"I guess."

"So what about you?"

"What?"

"I saw the way you looked at Naru-chan. Do you like him?"

"…Yes…but he likes Sasuke. It's just something I'll have to come to terms with."

Hotaru looked at him with pity, "Aw, cheer up, Gaara!" she said, patting him on the back harshly, "I'm sure you'll find someone even better than Naru-chan."

Gaara flashed a rare smile, "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

**AN: Gah! Another short chapter. So, about this little OC in there Hotaru. I was originally ganna use Neji but then I was just like, "Oh, wait. I'm a Gaara fangirl! I wanna be with Gaara!" so I put a little person in there that's supposed to be like me. Plus, I kinda thought another yaoi couple would take away from the SasuNaru thing I got goin on. I need a bad guy though. First it was ganna be Gaara but then I love Gaara so I was ganna do neji but then I thought that it would be kinda difficult to smush him in there so now I'm probably ganna bring someone back like Kabuto or even Orochimaru but I'm not sure. Any suggestions? **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review 'cause I love it when y'all do that! **

**~Yuki-chan**


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